Letters for Saturday, Aug. 8

A growing memorial for Farida Abdurahman sits where the pedestrian was killed while in a Calgary crosswalk July 28. Reader who lost her son-in-law to a driver in a crosswalk wants all motorists to consider others' safety.Colleen De Neve / Calgary Herald

Bereaved mother-in-law’s plea to drivers

Recently, just days before embarking upon his new professional and married life in Australia, our future son-in-law went for a morning jog in Los Angeles. All that changed in an instant when an old Cadillac plowed straight into him when he was legally two-thirds of the way across a crosswalk. He died within the hour.

According to the police report, the elderly driver had not seen the red light, and then, in a confused panic, had hit the accelerator instead of the brake pedal. His family later reported that, despite their having previously urged him to surrender his licence, he’d insisted, “I’ve been driving for 60 years and I still know how to drive!”

If there can be a positive outcome from all this, I would urge all drivers and their families to carefully consider the safety of themselves and others over the right, nay privilege, to drive.

Noëla Yates, Canmore

What’s the rush?

Every weekday morning, I wait at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre for my wife to get her radiation treatments. While I’m waiting, I cannot believe the speed of some drivers in the driveway in front of the hospital.

One day, I saw a half-ton drive through the walkway while an older woman was partway through pushing a walker. Many times, drivers have had to brake hard to miss patients walking across. Why is everyone in such a hurry?

Driving to the hospital, we drive through Montgomery, where there are at least two pedestrian crosswalks with flashing amber lights. Same thing! They do not slow down.

I think of the recent fatalities of people who have been run down by hit-and-run drivers. I’m at a loss to know how to stop these uncaring drivers from speeding through areas like these. What’s the big hurry? The few seconds they save just isn’t worth it.

Refreshing

I think it is democratically refreshing that a byelection has been called for Calgary-Foothills for early September, rather than waiting until the fall.

The riding has been without representation since Jim Prentice’s abrupt and petulant resignation the night of his party’s crushing defeat. So rather than being angry at Premier Rachel Notley for calling the byelection, the opposition parties should be happy that the voters now have the opportunity for effective, long-term, citizen-focused representation.

This is a clear sign the NDP government is committed to the extension of the democratic values of inclusion and participation in our province.

Return to morals

There is no excuse for unwanted pregnancies. Men can get vasectomies, women can get their tubes tied. There are many forms of birth control, and that includes abstinence.

Also, there are other ways to express sexuality with a partner that will not result in an unwanted pregnancy. I am getting sick and tired of this “it’s my body” excuse for an abortion. Doesn’t the baby get a choice whether it wants to be born?

This abortion pill makes it too easy to abort an unwanted pregnancy. I think maybe it’s time we get back to having morals and values.

Wayne Johanson, Calgary

Excuses, excuses

Of course, a woman must have the right to choose. Her choice should be not to become pregnant.

Numerous prevention tools are available. Make your right choice, and don’t hide behind excuses. Neglect on your part is not a valid reason for an abortion. Abortions should not, and must not, be a form of birth control.

Liz Gibbs writes: “If handled with appropriate medical advice, care and counselling, then a life-altering situation can be diverted.” I don’t think it is that life-altering for the host, but it certainly is for the fetus.

Healthy living

I loudly applaud the Herald editorial board for speaking out about seniors and pets. My mother, 86, still lives in her own home with her two dogs. She can do this in part because every day, she takes her two dogs out for their walk in an off-leash park, which she still is able to drive to.

Her doctor told her she was doing excellently, in spite of two recent mild heart attacks, and urged her to keep up with her daily walks — something she likely would not be doing, if it weren’t for her dogs.

She loves them and treats them like they are her kids. We are so grateful she has this daily routine which she enjoys and takes very seriously. I agree with the editorial board: Samantha should stay and the no-pet rule should be scrapped.

Shame on this board of directors and their administrator!

Renita F. Picton, Priddis

Match the U.S.

Deborah Yedlin suggests President Barack Obama’s 28 per cent renewable power standard puts a lid on gas and its accompanying benefits. Does Yedlin think more renewable power increases gas prices? Hardly. If anything, there’d be slightly reduced demand and price, all good for the competitive advantage.

Is the remaining 72 per cent not enough? Coal and hydro being limited, only gas and nuclear compete for the 72 per cent. Not bad, perhaps even challenging to meet the demand.

Yedlin suggests variable renewable resources are unreliable, nearing a saturation point. In 2007, the Alberta System Operator considered seven per cent the reasonable limit. It’s 14 per cent today and growing; there’s little talk about saturation. Today, technological development continues to increase technical and economic limits, even without storage.

Yedlin finally throws in the towel, saying any hope Canada has a voice at Paris has vanished. I say simply match the U.S. Canada has the resources; it’d be foolish and costly to do anything less.

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